"An epic game of epic proportions"

Metroid Prime is truly an epic game of epic proportions. It is just so amazing; it is an experience you'll have to see for yourself. Metroid was originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and it was a success. Metroid originated the concept of you maneuvering around a very big maze. Metroid II was also a success but the original two titles were nothing to what was about to come next. Super Metroid took everybody by storm, it was a masterpiece and it revealed that Samus was a girl. Super Metroid was a big maze like it's predecessors but it was open ended and allowed you to play the game many times allowing you to find a new path each time.

Unfortunately, we did not see Samus or any Metroid game for a long while. She had no games on the Nintendo 64, which was saddening. She did make a cameo appearance as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. But that didn't appease the fans. Finally, after eight years, Samus appeared in Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance as well as in the masterpiece known as Metroid Prime for the Nintendo Game Cube. Retro Studios took Metroid to the next level with Metroid Prime. They gave Samus a first person perspective that was a risky decision quite frankly. The masses may have not liked the first person perspective. Fortunately, they did and Metroid Prime was very well received.

Let us be honest, Nintendo is usually considered kiddy by a large chunk of gamers. While this is false and ludicrous, Nintendo has a kiddy image, nobody can deny that. However, the Metroid series, including Metroid Prime, have shown that Nintendo does have a side that appeals to people who want mature games. Metroid Prime is a pretty dark game and is far from having a kiddy image.

Storyline: As I stated earlier, this game is pretty dark, Samus does not go to candy land to find the missing gummy bears. Samus Aran, a bounty hunter, receives a distress call on a ruined space ship. After exploring it, she lands her ship on the planet Tallon IV. Tallon IV is the planet where the whole game takes place and it is truly stunning. Samus Aran must be on Tallon IV because her missions is to scout the planet for any abnormal activity and put a stop to the Zebesian space pirates who are experimenting with a radioactive substance known as Phazon.

There is mystery and history to this game too. The original inhabitants of this game were Chozo. These Chozo built a temple over the source of the evil from a meteor that crashed many years before. They locked it away and to get to the temple, you must find all twelve artifacts and you must do it before the pirates do. The Chozo are long gone but they still left lore around the world that you can learn more about the history of them if you scan them.

There is a story, and while it will not be glaringly obvious, it is there. I think the story is great and classic but some do not like it for some reason. The story is really good but there could have been some more interaction in my opinion. Maybe if you met some friends or something, poor Samus, having to do this tedious quest all by herself. Anyways, the story is interesting. 9/10

Game Play: This is a very good aspect of Metroid Prime. Basically, the game play of Metroid Prime is a First Person Shooter and a semi plat former wrapped in one package. Yes, it is a first person shooter but don't let this discourage you! You see the whole world as Samus Aran would see it and it is truly a fascinating experience. You start off with a power beam which you can press the A button repeatedly to fire or hold the A button to fire a charged shot. You also start with a scanning visor. The scanning visor can do many things. It can activate elevators or lower force fields and it can also scan creatures or objects and tell you information about them. This is especially helpful on bosses because a lot of the time the information you scan will give you tips or hints on how to defeat the boss.

As you travel throughout the game, you will acquire other guns such as the Wave Beam, Ice Gun and Plasma Gun. Each gun has it's own unique traits and each gun can be helpful for defeating certain enemies. You'll also get other visors too such as the Thermal Visor which will allow you to see in the dark or the X-Ray visor which can allow you to see through things and see invisible enemies and platforms. You also get missiles that you do have a limited supply of but when you kill enemies, they can drop missiles for you to pick up in addition to health. There are several combos you can do involving your guns and your missiles. You'll have to acquire the combo to be able to use it though.

Throughout the game, you'll acquire many other features that Samus can use also. For example, you will eventually be able to turn into a ball and then you will eventually be able to drop bombs that will come in handy. You'll also eventually be able to grapple, which can be quite fun! So yeah, Samus is loaded with abilities and combos that she can use. A thing about Metroid Prime is that you can press the L button to auto lock on to enemies and bosses. This is useful for newbies and experts alike. You can also aim manually if you want a challenge

This game is like a big maze in a way. You will eventually be able to access five different worlds, the Overworld, which is where you start off; it's basically a forest waterfall cavern. There is also a Lava World, Ice World, Chozo Ruins, and Phazon Mines. This game is divided by doors and you have to shoot the door to open it and gain access to the next area. Some doors you can only open with a certain type of gun. Unfortunately, there is a lot of backtracking so you can get guns, visors, missile expansions and health expansions. Missile expansions increase your missile capacity while health expansions increase your health by one hundred. Overall, the game play is amazing. You will be blown away. 10/10

Graphics: Simply put, the graphics are amazing. The game is 3-D which has failed so far with several series (Zelda, Kirby, Starfox) but it did not fail here! Samus looks very good and realistic, the creatures look awesome and all this gets complimented with a lush landscape and vivid scenery. The graphics will blow you away and the graphics of this game are a perfect representation of what the Game Cube is capable of. 10/10

Sound/Music: The sound is really great, the sounds of this game are realistic and aren't anywhere near cartoon like. This is a serious game so it is only natural that it sounds serious. When you blast with your gun, it sounds like you are blasting with your gun. When you kill a pirate, the pirate makes a wail. The sound is very realistic. The music is awesome too, the music was very well orchestrated and it made for some very epic, awesome music. The music can get a little repetitive but it is still very good. 10/10

Difficulty: A game needs to be somewhat challenging. What fun is a game if you breeze right through it? Oh right, there is no fun! On the other hand, it shouldn't be too hard either where you give up and never play again. Well, this game can be challenging, you will most likely need a guide and some of the bosses are really tough. But, this game is far from impossible and god forbid that a game be challenging nowadays. 5/5

Replay Value: Well, the backtracking may be a turn off but I think the replay value is pretty good. Once you beat the game for the first time, you will unlock hard mode, which can prove to be somewhat of a fresh new experience in which the enemies have more life and do more damage. The replay value isn't quite as good as I would have hoped but it still works just fine and you will play more than once. 9/10

Overall: This is seriously one groovy game! You will be hooked, whether you are exploring the hot Magmoor Caverns, searching for missile expansions, or fighting against Meta Ridley (The most epic duel ever!), you will love this game. This game can be bought really cheaply now so there isn't an excuse not to buy it. This game may just be the best Metroid game this generation! Don't hesitate, buy it now!